The High-Class Senior and the Magic Herb
[Ding-ding-ding~ Good morning~ Ding-ding-ding~ Pa-pa-pa pa-pa pa-pa-]
With my face buried in my pillow, I reached out an arm and swatted at the alarm. It was a melody specifically designed to make anyone furious. I’d thought about changing it countless times because it stressed me out every morning, but I kept it as it was, afraid that if I changed even that, I might forget the world I originally came from.
......I don't want to go to school.
I just wanted to stay buried in my bed, blanking out without a single thought. But I had to go. Ignoring the bed that seemed to be crying out for me not to leave it, I forced my body up. I have to go buy macarons for Sylvia.
"Hey, if you're having a hard time, you can just sit down," the class representative said, hesitating as I stood there holding a broom and zoning out. "Did you pull an all-nighter? You look exhausted."
"......It's nothing. I just didn't sleep well."
I’d gone to bed early, but I didn't actually fall asleep until the crack of dawn. Honestly, it wasn't so much that I was tired, but more that my head felt fuzzy. Did I hit my head too hard......? I winced slightly as the spot I’d bumped yesterday still felt a bit tingly. The class rep, watching me with a pitying look, pulled something out of her pocket and held it out. It was a chocolate.
"Eat this if you're struggling. Sweets are the best when you're like that."
......It felt strange to be on the receiving end after always being the one to give. Maybe because I wasn't used to it, my hand trembled as I took the chocolate.
"......Yeah, I'll, I'll eat it later."
"Make sure you tell me if you need any help."
I didn't answer and just gave her a small smile. Sorry, I don't think I can tell you. I quietly tucked the chocolate into my pocket.
Sylvia was a child who, while she had shown me various expressions lately, was originally quite skilled at hiding her emotions. Having been raised with her family's teachings that one must always remain composed, it was hard to tell what she was thinking unless it was an extreme case. But there was one exception.
Sometimes, when I watched Sylvia, her ears would twitch slightly. It was subtle enough that you had to look closely to notice, but since I was always watching her intently, I could catch it. That was the signal that she was thinking about wanting to eat a macaron.
Perhaps thanks to my efforts over the past few days at school, I could now feel Sylvia's gaze drifting toward me unconsciously whenever she wanted a macaron. I felt good, thinking that the progress of my 'Sylvia Friend-Corruption Training Plan' was inching forward.
As soon as I made eye contact with Sylvia, who was looking my way, I nodded and dashed to the cafeteria to buy a macaron. Sylvia looked at me with a bewildered expression, but she seemed to have resigned herself to it now. She wasn't usually a child with such a wide range of expressions, so seeing her reveal her emotions to me like this felt like proof that we were slowly getting closer.
"Scarlet, did I happen to say out loud that I wanted a macaron?"
I shook my head at Sylvia, who was looking at me with a strange glint in her eyes. "You didn't say it, but... I thought you wanted one... so."
"That's why I'm asking how you knew."
Uh...... Because I've been watching you all day? If I said that, I'd definitely be treated like a stalker, so I decided to be a bit indirect.
"Because we're friends, I can tell."
"'Because we're friends'... I see. More than that, you keep buying them for me—is there a reason?"
"...That, too, is just because... we're friends."
Sylvia seemed conflicted by my answer. She clenched and unclenched her hands, repeatedly starting to say something only to stop, before finally sighing and taking the macaron I offered.
"...I understand. I'll enjoy it, Scarlet."
The expression on Sylvia's face as she took the macaron and put it in her mouth was much softer than before. Oh my...... This is it! I could feel the friendship gauge filling up noticeably! It must have been a major affection-boosting event.
I suppressed the flames that were trying to burst out of my body. I thought that if I kept staring at Sylvia, I might end up burning my clothes again. Then I'd become a debtor! I quickly ran out of the classroom. To calm my heart, I headed to the school rooftop for some air.
Come to think of it, there was a general perception that the rooftop wasn't a place you should go to easily. Maybe it was because of the feeling that it was a place reserved for the ultimate 'insiders'—the kind of place where protagonists in manga or novels skipped class to nap or have secret trysts with the girl they liked.
As I opened the rooftop door with those thoughts in mind, there was already someone there. As soon as I saw the occupant, I tried to close the door and turn back, but it seemed I was already too late.
"Hey, don't mind me and come on up."
There was a sense of authority in that voice that made me feel like I couldn't refuse. I couldn't help but comply, gently opening the door and stepping onto the roof.
"You look like a freshman. I hate that 'senior-junior' etiquette stuff, so just be comfortable. Relax."
The owner of that voice had an appearance that made it impossible to be comfortable around her. A skirt shortened to the absolute limit. A school uniform top tied high up for some reason, revealing her navel. The resulting emphasis on her chest and her exposed legs exuded a feminine charm that would make anyone admire her, but......
Brown skin that shimmered as if it had been tanned and was catching the sunlight. Her blonde hair—I didn't know if it was dyed or natural—was tied in a ponytail, and she didn't look like a model student in any way. She was on a different level from the low-tier thugs who just dressed up to look the part.
The atmosphere she carried, naturally pulling off even such a flashy look as if it were her own, told me that she was the apex predator of the school caste system. I trembled and imagined her: sitting in the very back seat by the window, ignoring class entirely, chin in her hand, staring out the window. If the third-rate thugs were making noise and bullying kids, she’d be slumped over her desk, only to say, "Be quiet," and silence them instantly! Even if that wasn't actually the case! Eek! My body is trembling!
My inner commoner screamed, but I didn't show it and stood holding the railing a little distance away from her. I could feel her staring at me. Please, don't do that......
"I'm bored, so shall we talk for a bit? Come over here."
I obediently followed her words and stood beside her. One could not refuse an order from someone higher in the school caste system......
"Let's introduce ourselves. I'm Leonor from 2nd Year, Class B. You?"
"Scarlet Evande... 1st Year, Class A."
Actually, I already knew who she was. Leonor Lionil, a sub-heroine of the original novel. Unlike her appearance, she was a kind person. I knew that, but the pressure radiating from her looks was just too intense......
"Eve's class, huh? That must be tough. That teacher is super Spartan, despite how she looks."
I nodded. As much as Eve cared for her students, her classes were a bit grueling. Since she was our homeroom teacher, she probably paid even more attention to us. It would definitely help in real combat, but hard was hard.
I closed my eyes and shook my head left and right as yesterday's training threatened to surface, and Leonor laughed at the sight. She laughed for a moment, then pulled the exclusive item of a delinquent from her pocket and put it in her mouth. I was a bit taken aback by how brazenly she tried to smoke. No, wait? Maybe it would be weirder if she didn't smoke?
As I stared with wide eyes, she seemed to feel my gaze, looked down at what she was holding, then waved it in her hand and said, "Just so you know, this isn't a cigarette. It's a 'Mana Herb,' it's good for your body. It has a mental stabilizing effect, too. You just have to make sure not to smoke too much."
As she said that, she rummaged through her pocket with her free hand to pull out a lighter. She tried to light the Mana Herb, but the gas must have run out, as it only made a clicking sound without catching. She clicked her tongue and put the lighter back in her pocket. Watching that, I let a tiny bit of the flame I’d been suppressing flow into my hand and lit the herb for her. Wow, human lighter!
"Oh, thanks. You were a fire-ability user, huh?"
She looked at me with slightly surprised eyes, put the Mana Herb in her mouth, took a deep drag, and then blew the smoke at me. Returning kindness with evil! I closed my eyes in surprise, but I smelled something completely different from what I’d expected. Should I call it a refreshing herbal scent, totally unlike a cigarette?
I blinked and stared at Leonor with a dazed face, and she burst into laughter, "Pwahahaha," as if it were hilarious. "Ahahaha, how is it? Smells good, right? It might look like this, but it's pretty expensive."
Hearing that it was expensive made me a bit curious. What would it taste like? As I stared intently, Leonor held out the Mana Herb she was smoking toward me.
"Want to try a puff?"
I nodded and took the herb she offered. The Mana Herb Leonor had been smoking just a moment ago. ......Isn't this an indirect kiss? Thinking that made me a bit shy, but I didn't show it and put it in my mouth. But how do you smoke this? I’d never smoked anything like a cigarette before, so I didn't know. Not wanting to just hold it in my mouth, I just took a big, deep breath.
"Hey! You don't inhale like that on your first try!"
"......Hoe-e-e-ng?"
My head was floating, floating. Huh, what is this?
"Senior...... there are two of you now......"
"Oh, boy...... I'll take you to the infirmary, so just stay still."
Maybe because there were two of her, her strength had doubled too; she lifted me up like a princess. Senior, you're so strong. It feels like I'm flying in the sky.
"Senior...... please do it high, high up......"
"*Sigh*... I'm sorry."
The senior sighed, but she lifted me up and down. My body was going up and down. Wow, this is fun! Tee-hee! Tee-hee-hee!
As I wiggled around, my body was laid down on something soft. Bed, it's a bed. It's so fluffy. I rested my head on the pillow and crawled under the blanket. I curled my body up like a pill bug. It's warm..... It's so warm, I'm sleepy......
"I remembered when I heard your name earlier, you're that girl who's the 'bread shuttle' for that Astra lady, right?"
"Mmm, I'm not like that. We're frie-ends."
"If you don't like it, I can tell her to stop, how about that?"
"I don't hate it... I'm doing it because I want to... otherwise, I can't be friends......"
"......Is that so?"
I heard someone running outside the door..... I don't know, I'm sleepy... I'm going to sleep......